Merry Christmas Harry!
by DoWnpOuR
Summary: Dunno..this is my first story that isn't original so be nice. If is really bad just turn around and walk away slowly. KK?


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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs entirely to J.K Rowling and is a copyrighted character with which I have no claim on. I didn't come up with these characters and they aren't mine in any way. I just played with them a little bit. ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ AUTHOR'S NOTE This is my first, actual (not original) fanfiction and I really hope it isn't bad. I never wrote them before because it feels wierd expanding on some else's work, mainly because it is well...theirs. But since I know that no one is going to break into my house and capture me for writing this I think I may write more. Of course this isn't even close to my other stories in "goodness" and I don't really think that it is my best work at all.but I hope that you enjoy...  
  
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Harry Potter opened his eyes and blinked. The world around him seemed fuzzy until he found his glasses on the table by his bed. Ron must already be awake since he was missing from his bed.  
  
Harry got up and stretched before racing to the window. Snow fell from the sky and lightly dusted the grounds of Hogwarts castle. Harry left the window and went downstairs to the common room to find his friends.  
  
There he found Ron and Hermione all ready opening their gifts. Just like every rear, since they came to Hogwarts five years ago, Ron was wearing a knitted sweater from his mother. He stood grinning at Harry, "She sent you one too!" Ron tossed Harry a package and he tore of the paper, sure enough inside was a sweater for him.  
  
"Harry! The Dursley's didn't send you anything this year!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Hmmph, no toothpick or paperclip?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"No but there is a small envelope that arrived along with your other packages." Hermoine plucked it from the tree and handed it to him. Harry glanced down and saw on the front was shiny silver script. The words Harry Potter slithered across the envelope.  
  
"I will open it later," he said and tossed it to the side. He reached for a package from Hagrid. Harry opened it and looked down to see a big bin of his homemade fudge. Hermoine looked over his shoulder and smiled.  
  
"I got some too," she told him before going back to open her gifts. Harry opened a gift from his uncle Sirius. He opened the large box to find a smaller one inside. Harry was puzzled and opened that to find a glass sphere full of colorful liquid. A dark midnight blue was the dominant color and the other colors swirled around inside. The entire thing was hung on a silver chain. Harry held it up and looked at it in surprise.  
  
"OH!" Hermoine exclaimed. "I know what that is! But I can't seem to recall, I will be right back-" she ran out of the common room while both Harry and Ron burst into giggles at her.  
  
"Try the envelope," Ron suggested. "Maybe it will tell you what this is," Harry nodded and grabbed the envelope. He ripped it open and a single piece of paper fell onto his lap. Harry and Ron crawled over to kneel by the fireplace. Then Harry looked down to read:  
  
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MERRY CHRISTMAS HARRY POTTER! I WOULD LIKE YOU TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW THAT FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND FOR YOU, I GOT RID OF THOSE HORRIBLE MUGGLES YOU LIVED WITH. THEY CRIED AND BEGGED FOR THEIR LIFE BUT THE BOY WAS SUCH A PIG I FELT THEY DESERVED TO DIE. THOSE MUGGLES HATED YOU NEARLY AS MUCH AS I DO AND I ALMOST KEPT THEM AROUND. THERE IS NO NEED TO THANK ME FOR KILLING THEM, ACTUALLY IT WAS MY PLEASURE. OH AND IF NO ONE WANTS YOU THEN YOU ARE WELCOME TO "LIVE" WITH ME FOR THE SUMMER...  
  
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Harry looked up at his best friend and whispered," Voldemort!" Ron nodded in response but not before he flinched at the name.  
  
"No it can't be true, it is Malfoy just teasing you, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named is lying," Ron's face had gone a pale white color and Harry stood up.  
  
"Right, it must be Malfoy just being a jerk," Harry nodded vigorously. A screech came from the window and both boys jumped. A black owl swooped in the room and dropped a copy of the DAILY PROPHET on the table.  
  
"Hermoine's copy," Ron gulped. Harry smiled in relief and remembered that she subscribed so the three wouldn't always be behind in the news. Ron stood next to Harry and they went to the table. The paper was lying flat and the headline caught their eye. It screamed out:" THREE MUGGLES MURDERED!"  
  
Underneath that there was a picture of many wizards, including Ron's father, running around zapping Muggles with Memory Charms. They were at Privet Drive, where the Dursley's lived. Ron slowly read:  
  
A young boy found three Muggles dead this morning. He was carrying them the Muggle newspaper when he saw the door slightly ajar. Inside he found them in the living room, dead. Memory Charms have been placed, as this is obviously the work of a wizard. There were no visible marks but the Ministry says they suspect Dark Magic. The names of the Muggles haven't been released but we do know that they may have targeted them for their connection to the famous Harry Potter, otherwise known as the Boy-Wh0- Lived. Rumors have been a run lately that He-Must-Not-Be-Named has come back...  
  
Ron trailed off and dropped the paper. Harry was holding back tears. The Dursley's were dead and for some reason that didn't make him feel better. After all of the years they abused and neglected him, they were dead, and it was all because of him. No one deserved to die. Even if the people who died were mean and didn't love you, they didn't deserve to die.  
  
"At least you don't need to stay with them this summer," Ron piped up hopefully. This made Harry feel worse even though he knew Ron was only trying to help. Now Harry had nowhere to go for the summer and this was exactly what Voldemort was planning.  
  
The door to the common room opened and in came, Dumbledore, Hermoine, and Professor Snape. "Harry, did you hear?" Hermoine yelled. Dumbledore hushed her. Harry handed to newspaper and note over to Dumbledore and nodded. He glanced at Snape and wondered why he was there. Snape hated him, it couldn't be for comfort. Dumbledore read over the things and looked up.  
  
"This is not a good thing for you Harry," he said quietly. "Do you know that these are from Voldemort?" he asked. Dumbledore seemed to not notice the flinches of Hermoine, Ron and even Snape, but Harry did. Why people couldn't say his name was something he couldn't figure out.  
  
"What do you mean these things? That paper is part of Hermoine's subscription," Harry nodded toward the paper.  
  
"No Harry it isn't. My copy came while I was in the library looking up information on your sphere," Hermoine shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Did you find out what is was?" Ron asked her.  
  
"Yes but-" Hermoine was cut of by Dumbledore.  
  
"We need to discuss where you are going to go when the summer holiday is here. It needs to be someplace safe with someone trusted. I could let you stay with the Weasly's but their house is too open and Voldemort is at full power," he looked sadly at Ron then continued," Hermoine's house is out of the question as she lives with Muggles and we already see the damage that can be done," Dumbledore paused.  
  
"So where do I go? Will I stay at the school?" Harry asked hopefully.  
  
"Oh no, Harry that wouldn't work at all, but for reason's I can't tell you. All of the teachers and I have discussed this and we have decided that the best place for you to stay this summer is with Professor Snape," Dumbledore finished waiting for the storm to erupt.  
  
"WHAT!?" all three children yelled at the same time.  
  
"But Harry can't-" Hermoine said.  
  
"Snape hates him," Ron added.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked. He looked at Snape who hadn't spoken much up until now.  
  
"Because only I have a home safe enough to protect you." Snape snapped irritated. He knew he didn't like Harry but why that he was protesting so much got to him. Harry looked to Dumbledore.  
  
"This is true, Harry, his house is hidden and protected by many powerful spells that are much stronger than anything at Hogwarts. Unless of course I am here," Dumbledore added the last part with a smile.  
  
"He is Death Eater!" Ron burst out.  
  
"Was." Snape and Harry answered at the same time and looked at each other surprised. They were too busy glowering at each other to notice the smirk from Dumbledore.  
  
"Okay then he was but what if this is a trap," Ron protested.  
  
"Ron, I trust Snape completely just like Hagrid, so there isn't any need to worry," Dumbledore announced.  
  
"You trusted Professor Quirrell as well as Crouch in the disguise of Mad- Eyed Moody!" Ron yelled and then turned a horrible orange at the fact that he just accused Dumbledore, the best headmaster in the world, to be incapable of his job. But Dumbledore looked at Ron and answered him sternly.  
  
"Ronald Weasly, I know people and many more things than you, I will ignore what you said because it was said only out of the love for a friend, and for the last time I assure you that Professor Snape is not going to harm Harry in anyway," Dumbledore sat by the fire and everyone followed lead. "I am sorry you don't like this news but that is what is going to happen, not a soul can know about this because Voldemort can get word from anywhere," Dumbledore wagged his fingers at the children and they nodded.  
  
"Alright," the kids said. Harry looked at Snape and swallowed hard. Voldemort had done his best to get Harry stranded without a home but now he was stuck with Snape, and though Harry had faith in Dumbledore's opinion and judgment, he always felt that with Snape the Headmaster was little off.  
  
Harry smiled at the irony. He hated Snape and the feeling was mutual but Voldemort would be furious that one of his ex-followers would have in his care Harry Potter and would not return to the Dark side. But wait..  
  
"Dumbledore, you said that Hogwarts is safe when you are here so why can't I stay for the summer?" Harry asked hopefully. Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"I won't be here for the summer. I am sorry Harry but Snape will take care of you," Dumbledore stood up and turned to leave. He smiled at Harry reassuringly and exited the room. Harry threw himself on the couch and fought tears. Dumbledore was a great man but he missed the glint in Snape's eyes and Harry wasn't looking forward to living with him... 


End file.
